#28. Shoot, Aim, Fire.

Hello again! S3 has happened and I have gotten little pieces of plans for this collection. I think one of them will probably be obvious, but I hope you still enjoy it when it happens, because it will. For now I thought it would be nice to have a more humorous tidbit to sink your teeth in to. We must have fun in between the serious modes!

I hope you are all well and that you enjoy this! Let me know what you think if you get the chance.

much love,

day


"I'm happy you've found someone, John. Is she on the base with you?" Molly asked her best friend as they walked slowly behind their much taller friend. John had finally thought to tell her about this woman he had started to talk to. She was surprised really, but she supposed John needed to have a companion when he wasn't around either of them. Her name was Melissa and she was a few year younger than John, much closer to Molly's age. Age was just a number, though wasn't it?

John chuckled happily, he had managed to wrangle Sherlock into not spilling any details about his new relationship with Molly. He needed things to tell her when he was around them. He would be leaving in a couple days to go back to base and ultimately back to Sarah who he knew was worried about what was happening with his friends back in the states. He had only managed to tell her that he was needed back here before he was tossed into the chopper. He hadn't even been able to kiss her, not that he had a really moment to have a go at that when the suits came in and nabbed him like that.

"Yes, she does. She's a medic, and her specialty is more general but she's given me a hand a few times. That's was actually how I was introduced to her. I needed an extra set of hands and she came running to my aid." Molly seemed to be enjoying this story and he was happy to see her so cheerful and so full of life. However, they weren't alone which meant that soon enough Sherlock would want them to hurry along, after all it had been both their decision to try to have a go at teaching Molly something that the both of them had to learn in their time away. It would most certainly help her should she find herself in trouble.

"That's lovely, John. Saving lives, you do that well. Maybe we could speed that along and you could help me help Molly save her own life..." There he was trying to be polite but his tone was anything but which caused Molly to push John along and moving to one side of Sherlock, dropping his arm and beginning to talk to him lowly. John looked on amused as Sherlock pouted and Molly jabbed him in the side repeatedly. "I just want to get this over with." He heard his friend answer but he could also tell that he wasn't winning any points with Molly for being unkind.

It seemed after the whole fiasco with the hospital was over, he returned to his ways mostly. John had been around him long enough to know that he couldn't stay Mr. I Care About You More Than Anyone, he eventually returned to the annoying prick in his side and Molly's at some point and that had started about a week ago. John though he adored his friend, was eager to get out of dodge. There was no telling what he might do to Sherlock if he tried to do something stupid one more time in order to quell the boredom.

That was exactly why he suggested this trip to the gun range that was outside the city, far away from people. If he managed to blow his brains out then no one would be the wiser. Not that he was planning to, yet. Sherlock could push people to wanting to do things though, and not always things that he needed or wanted. He was surprised that Molly was handling him so well, though this was Molly he was talking about. She could turn a lion into a cat with her stern gaze. Sherlock being the overly large cat in this scenario. It was quite endearing really how far Sherlock would tone down his bluntness if Molly was within reach.

He could count on his hand the amount of near-misses he had seen from him while he was in their presence.

He was quick to follow after them as Sherlock begun to steer Molly inside. He was a part of the instructor's on this course. Molly had to learn how to shoot. "It's for your safety, and my sanity." Sherlock mumbled as he passed her a pair of earmuffs to silence the noise of the guns, her own pair of safety goggles. They fit her just as much as her own pair that she wore when she was working or helping Sherlock in the lab he had sectored off in their house. John sat in a few times during their experiments but not a lot, he liked to give them their private time. He found watching them too long gave him a headache. It was a bit too much to take, they worked together like his parents (perfectly with knowing gazes, and silent cues that lead to giggling and synchronized movements) and that was a lot more than he needed to see. He did enjoy how well they got on.

Originally when he left he had worried how they would fare together and apart, if they ever met up and what became of their lives. He had kept in together as much as possible and for awhile it had been shifty but look at them now. They were all at a shooting range with one common goal in mind.

He stood to the side with his own goggles on watching Sherlock begin to explain the mechanism of shooting. This was partly funny because he had been the one to explain to him this very thing. John had to use a different weapon when taking out enemies on the field but it all was the same. Turn the safety off, cock the gun, make sure your target within your line of fire and go for the kill. It was simple but Sherlock was explaining it extensively to Molly. By the third time he heard the word accuracy he stopped him.

"I think it would be easier if I just showed her how to do it. It's not all that logical, you just have to do it." Sherlock gave John a look but he didn't back down. There were many things he could read from Sherlock and the idea that he wouldn't budge because he had the idea that he was the one that was going to be the teacher was not phasing the military man in the slightest. "Practice makes perfect." John said as he gripped the gun in his hand taking it out of reach of Sherlock's hand and checking the barrel to make sure it was loaded. Like clockwork he set up his mark and pulled the trigger.

It hit the target in the chest which was perfect. He grinned as Molly beamed at him. "I doubt I'll get that on the first try but very impressive, John."

"He's used to being around guns of course he could do that." Sherlock grumbled from Molly's side.

"Would you like to try before I miss excessively?" Molly said giving Sherlock the most complacent gaze John had ever seen her use with someone. She wasn't pacifying exactly but she was amused by his actions right now.

"No, I'm fine. I think I'll wait right here while you have a go." Sherlock muttered as he leaned against one side of the little blocked off area they were locked in.

"Sherlock..." John chuckled before placing the gun in Molly's hand and standing behind her. While he set her up, giving her instructions on how to go about it Sherlock watched silently. He wasn't brooding like they thought. His idea was to make Molly feel like this was something that she could benefit from but John wanted to get her to get into practicing. He had his methods, he supposed. Sherlock had his as well. He supposed he could always teach her self defense on top of this. Then again, she had a mean right hook. That might not be necessary. He might still try regardless.

He smiled a little while later when Molly after empty about three cases finally managed to hit three targets in the center where the chest was back to back. He congratulated her with a smile and then inquired about food. Molly pecked him on the mouth. "You were silent the whole time." She muttered as they walked back out into the streets. John was talking to one of the assistants at the range about something. Sherlock wanted to have a moment alone with her while he could. "I was watching you. You reminded me of how you are when you're cutting up a body. You lacked the accuracy but you're new at this, of course." He quipped. Molly knew he wasn't being mean this time. It's just the way he worded things. She learned Sherlock talk a long time ago. "You looked deadly holding a gun at the end there."

"Is that how I look when I'm wielding my trusty scalpel?" She asked him as John stepped outside searching for them for a moment before beginning to walk over.

"You looked more ready to kill someone but, I've heard stories of interns catching you off guard..."

"I don't know what you're referring to." She told him with a smile, before the trio started off again.

"I was thinking burgers tonight, is there any place good nearby?" John piped up as he tagged onto Molly's vacant arm.

"Let's just ask our map index, shall we?" Molly mumbled as she looked up at Sherlock.

Sherlock shot her a glare but was quick to tell them that there was one a few blocks down. He had met a client there once.


P.S. We will get to Mary at a later time. I have plans for a scenario that has a "The Fall" feel to it and so that'll be something to look forward to. Sorry this one was so short!